The Wilmingtonian., 1887-03-12
What We Must Do.

What We Must Do.
In recent editorial the Philadelphia Press
and: THE meeting of rep eseutatves from
colleges in this State ought to lead to results
,uoIe important than united effort TO Sc
ure freedom from taxation, necessary as
this step may be for the support of souno
learning. Iu IFS higher education, Pennsyl
vanla Is more deficient than ary other East
EN- Sia e, more SD even than some Western
states Ike Michigan or Wisconsin. 1t has
,lmost as many small cNllrges as Ohio, each
more or less weak. OF its three larger in
.titutlons, the University here has been Of
ate years filing sume Of tie demands for
,nund leadership ia advanced education. LIE
ugh is great technical schosl, likely 10 be
greater, but limited in its field and at LAT
1, ,ette tradition and aim are souuder and
broader than endowment or resource.
PennsS lvauia W, uld greatly profit if its col
eges, like those of Ohio, would associate
themselves in tho common ffoit to raise the
| landard of admission aud advance the value
,nd Importance of their degrees. Unless
| hs is done the hopeless and demoral'zlrg
competition of the past is sure to continue
| the future"
What we, in Delaware are blessed, OF
rather cursed with is the medocrity of uul
schools. Perhaps it would be truer to de-
| tine it as the medocrity of the tducat onal
tim in our schools OF the higher grade. w,
nave, strictly speaking, but one collegiate
.chool--Deaware ColItge-that has, oI
Aught to hare, aims higher than that Of the
8 ,mmon school. What we are cursed with
Delaware, especially iu this city is thu
c,ntemptible attempt to essay medium
position, by some OF our schools, between tn.
common school and the college.
Now that should be stopped right away.
The general education OF the masses is huri
py this movement. The movement is hurt
ful to the general onward march of thor
ugh peculiar education in the common
chuul curriculum. This hermaphrodite hab-
lment or position is most contemplate,
lseless, hUrtful and nOturious'y resultless il
5nod.
What should he added is that our school
authorities are not to blame for this absurd
condition Of things. The citizens themselves
ire the man cause of the trouble. They ar
not yet puisuaded of the useessness of b
,upri ticial kuow ledge Of tht re extra studies
studies which properly belong to post
common school course.
Let us have colleges that are colleges and
common schools that are definitely common
schools aud nothing more nor less than such.
IJ is tirespme aud earying to witness on
,ugh comprehension of their studies b.,
many of the classes in our common schools
Is was Witnessed in the recent visitation o.
them by joint committee of the Board o.
Education and City Council. 1t is pitifu
,ud should be roundly denounced, The par
,eism is to be found in the lamentabl,
fact that Delaware College, seat Of learn
ny that should have naught whatever to d.
with ell mentary studies has established
species of preparatory school where ii
) raught curr culum moie closely allied Il
that of til common school curriculum. Thi
is all wrong-the line should be clearl,
drawn between elementary schools thei
teaching, and higher schools or colleges an,
their curriculum. II destroys the dehnit
| aud cause Of ex steuce Of either to mix thing
: up in this manner, And i is here allcge
that much il nnt al Of the p't,lul nediocrit
! ,een as the educational results here are du
Il entirely to this fact.
4 Let the Cobbler stick to his last. De
il lware College should be college and Nc
/. 4 common school, aud let all our publ
, schools throughout the State be naught eli
han common schools. If this be dor
! soundly and effectively with the curriculu
il line rigidiy drawn aud adhered 10 we sha
il not only see our common schools give bett,
lie results but also our State University. Del
> ware college, stand where it is entitled t
:, ana match forward with substantial as We
as scholastic progress.